Generally, camouflage of an observer position is achieved by providing a hunting blind, stand, raft or other location that is colored or painted in a manner to blend it into the background environment. For example, camouflage paint, “camo” netting, or permanent or temporary patterned coverings are used on materials that are then applied to the exterior of permanent or portable deer blinds, jeeps, boats, duck blinds, tree stands and other observer or hunter positions. These camouflaged positions may provide permanent, mobile or portable shooting positions or game observation posts. Some example applications for the camouflaged objects are, without limitation, typically to provide a hunting position, for example, a deer blind, duck blind or the like. In some applications, a game observation position is provided, for example, to do wildlife research without revealing the presence of a human observer or camera equipment to the animals. Other applications may include enclosures for security or surveillance applications in parking lots, office buildings, apartments complexes or the like where observers or equipment may also be concealed from view by the use of such camouflage enclosures.
A problem with the prior art patterned type of camouflage is that the covering may not match the foreground or background, thus the camouflage may be ineffective to conceal the position or observer. For example, a particular pattern or shade chosen for one season or for one location may not be effective in another season or another location. As one simple example, a deer blind painted with a fall camouflage pattern will be more visible than an unpainted structure in winter; as the background is now potentially white with snow. Thus, the blind is rendered ineffective when conditions change or when moved to another location.
Reflective material has been applied to hunting enclosures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,960 discloses a portable, rectangular enclosure with reflective outer surfaces. However, the reflective surfaces are provided in vertical orientation (parallel to a vertical plane, or perpendicular to the horizontal ground or floor surface). The inventors of the present application have previously determined that material oriented in this direction fails to provide effective concealment. Game or other observers may see their own reflection in the vertical reflective surfaces, or celestial reflections such as the sun, sky or moon that reveals the structure against the background. Although the structure will reflect to some extent the natural surroundings and thus be a match to the environment in different seasons or locations, the flaws make the camouflage less effective than desired.
In FIG. 1, an enclosure 10 of the type such as described in the patent referenced above is shown configured for a deer blind application. Although for simplicity, only the exterior front surface is drawn as a reflective surface, typically all four sides are described in the prior art as reflective. The drawback of the vertical sides of this prior art enclosure is that the game or other observer, when looking directly at the enclosure, may see its own reflection, or the sky behind it, or celestial objects such as the sun or moon may be reflected, thereby revealing the presence of the enclosure to the viewer or game. A second problem is that the observation ports themselves provide ample areas where the interior of the enclosure, or the observer or hunter, may be observed by the game, thus any concealment provided by the reflective camouflage is rendered ineffective.
In a prior patent application U.S. Publ. No. 2007/0006909 A1, reflective camouflage was disclosed. In this prior application, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, an enclosure such as a deer or duck blind is provided with a reflective outer surface that inclines towards the horizontal so that the exterior sides are not vertical. FIG. 2 depicts the enclosure 21 with an observation port 22. The improvements were accomplished by tilting the exterior surface outwardly at the top, that is, the exterior surfaces are no longer parallel to the vertical, or perpendicular to the horizontal ground or floor. Instead, as seen in FIG. 2, the exterior reflective surfaces are inclined outwardly at the top. The angle of the exterior surfaces is less than 90 degrees from horizontal. By providing this tilted or outwardly inclined surface, the structure reflects to an onlooking observer, such as game or fowl in the area, a reflection of the material in the foreground of the enclosure. The observer approaching the structure will not see its own reflection, due to the inclined surfaces; instead, that reflection is directed downward and away from the observer. Similarly, the observer will not see the sky, the sun or moon or other inappropriate reflections. In this manner, the enclosure remains concealed and camouflaged.
However, in order to provide both observability and gun ports and bow ports out of the enclosure for use by the hunter or other observer, ports or openings, such as 22 of FIG. 2, were provided. These ports or openings may be visible to the game or another onlooker or observer looking at the outside of the enclosure. Thus, this reflective camouflage provides less effective concealment than needed for successful observation of wild animals or fowl, or to conceal the existence of the enclosure from an outside observer. A continuing need thus exists for additional improvements in reflective camouflage for structures or positions that overcome the problems of the prior art.